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In a time when NFL headlines focus more on courtrooms than locker rooms, fans still cannot stop talking about football. One of the most popular discussions during any offseason is the ranking of the top players in the game today.

Ranking the best quarterbacks in the game is a topic that is passionately debated by football fans. Are championships the leading gauge of the best quarterbacks? How about QB Rating? Is it yards, touchdowns, or wins? You know a good quarterback when you see one, but how exactly do you rank the cream of the crop?

According to BOLTHYPE, here are the top five quarterbacks in the NFL today:

1. Peyton Manning

As much as it may sicken Chargers fans, it’s difficult to argue against the general consensus for the top two quarterbacks in the game, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. In fact, many people would say the top two picks are interchangeable, however I would differ. Peyton doesn’t have as many rings as Brady (his one to Brady’s three), but the best QB is not the one with the most rings. For the last decade, Manning has been the prototype for what you want in an NFL player. Extremely smart, very gifted, and ultra-competitive, Manning has made the Colts a perennial Super Bowl threat without a consistent defense and with a sub-par offensive line. His record four NFL MVP awards reflect his dominance as a player, and he shows no signs of letting up now.

2. Tom Brady

While the best QB is not the one with the most rings, you still can’t ignore Brady’s three championships. Brady has a great understanding of the QB position, and uses his incredibly accurate arm to pick teams apart, as Chargers fans know all too well. Combined with a well-documented chip on his shoulder after being drafted late in the 2000 NFL draft, Brady may be the most difficult QB to beat every single Sunday.

3. Drew Brees

Let the debate continue: Brees or Philip Rivers, Rivers or Brees? After leaving San Diego for New Orleans, Brees seemed to get better and better. As a Saint, Brees is averaging over 4500 yards passing per season, he set a record for highest completion percentage in a season (70.62%), and became just the 2nd QB to throw for over 5000 yards in a season. And don’t forget his Super Bowl victory following the 2009 season.

4. Philip Rivers

His talent at the quarterback position cannot be questioned. It seems that the only thing keeping him from getting recognized with the likes of Manning or Brady is the lack of a Super Bowl win, and San Diego has anything but the Chargers offense to blame for that. Rivers has proven to be a big-game QB, consistently pulling out victory after victory from the jaws of defeat. If he could have stopped meltdowns from any number of Chargers players in the playoffs, I’m confident he would already have a ring…maybe two.

5. Aaron Rodgers

Since taking over for the living legend that was Brett Favre, Rodgers has been a stud behind center. In his three years as a starter he has a .740 winning percentage, and shined in the playoffs last season as he led the Packers to another Super Bowl victory. At 28, I expect Rodgers to be one of the best QB’s in the league for the next decade.

Quarterback is arguably the most important position in the field, and finding that franchise QB may be as difficult as winning a championship. To illustrate that point, can you name all the quarterbacks who started for the Chargers since Stan Humphries retired in 1997? There were eight in the six seasons before Philip Rivers was drafted in 2004!

Your TakeAgree or disagree with the five players listed above? Use the comment section below and give us your top 5!

Chargers.com

Pro Football Talk

USA Today

NFL.com

San Diego Union - Tribune

Yahoo! Sports

ESPN - AFC West

FOX Sports

About BOLTHYPE:
Established in the summer of 2006, BOLTHYPE has steadily become the premier San Diego Chargers blog on the internet. By choosing to remain independent, BOLTHYPE has built up a strong following without the support of blog networks, and continues to attract new readers everyday. BOLTHYPE is dedicated to providing our readers with fresh and informative takes on their favorite NFL team, the San Diego Chargers.